Criminology
is the study of crime, and criminologists have been developing theories for
decades about why people commit crimes (Siegel, 2010). Organized crime is no different, and there
are many different theories falling into both Trait Theory and Social Structure
Theory categories to explain the actions of others. According to Abadinsky (2009) and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (2007), John Gotti “The Teflon Don” encompassed
more media attention by himself than any other organized crime figure in
history as he ran his organization in the traditional patron-client network
style. The bureaucratic-corporate style
as used by gangs will also be explored as we look at theory related to gang
activity and discuss how the Gangster Disciples fit these theories, comparing
and contrasting criminological theory of both styles of organized crime
organizations.

The
theories based on social structure maintain that people commit crimes because
of the stratification of the wealth and privileges available to the population
(Siegel, 2010). This is particularly
true under the capitalism system that the United States utilizes. Although all of the theories in the
sociological school of thought hold that the main reason people commit crimes
is because they are poor, each one has different ideas on how this condition of
poverty plays into criminal behavior (Siegel, 2010). In other words, it means that the
socioeconomic conditions of society are the reason we have crime.

We will begin by exploring Strain Theory
(Siegel, 2010), and just how that ties in to being poor using reason of
self-justification of crime. Abadinsky
(2009) covers the Theory of Anomie that, began with Emile Durkheim, and developed
further by Robert Merton suggests that as we feel anomie or strain based on
lack of opportunity to achieve social mobility, people turn to criminal
activity to attain the goal. In the
United States, Siegel (2008) states that over 37 million people live at or below
the poverty level, which translates into the real world terms of dilapidated
neighborhoods, poor health care, less desires to achieve means legally, and
less opportunity for the people that live in these conditions. Criminal activity is their way of evening the
odds according to this theory and organized crime is just how the immigrant
population found the road to prosperity in the past. Today this is also a problem in non-immigrant
communities as well, as the groups achieve upward social mobility paving the
way for others to take their places.

Al Capone. Mugshot information from Science and Society Picture Gallery: Al Capone (1899-1947), American gangster, 17 June 1931. 'Al Capone sent to prison. This picture shows the Bertillon photographs of Capone made by the US Dept of Justice. His rogue's gallery number is C 28169'. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Next,
we will look at what Differential Association Theory implies. This theory popularized by Richard Cloward
and Lloyd Ohlin (Siegel, 2008), maintains that people under strain, and in
areas of social disorganization will form subcultures. This in turn promotes gang activity to
form. These subcultures band together,
and in order to reduce the strain turn to criminal activity. The joining inevitably results in a gang
mentality, which allows people to adhere to the structure and rules that the
gang requires.

Deviant
Subculture Theory, introduced as a reason that youth from lower class
neighborhoods commit crime in 1955, by Albert Cohen (Siegel, 2008). The theory suggests that youth use their
subculture as a way to rebel against societal regulations set by the middle
class. What Cohen suggests is that,
because they cannot achieve normal standards of success they reach frustration
by this status. Once the frustration
level has been reached, they use the subculture formed to rebel against
societal norms (Siegel, 2008).

Edwin
Sutherland, who maintained that anyone could commit criminal acts regardless of
class, social standing, or any other factor according to Abadinsky (2009),
introduced Differential Opportunity Theory.
The main idea is that crime is chosen when the benefits outweigh the
costs of the punishment. He holds that
this type of behavior is learned from those we associate ourselves with, and
that it also comes from conforming to the beliefs, ideals, and regulations set
forth by the teacher, or from social engagement with others. This means that according to this theory,
crime is a personal choice for everyone (Siegel, 2010).

Social
Control Theory is much like differential opportunity theory in the fact that the
main tenet also states that criminal activity is profitable and alluring. Abadinsky
(2009) states that, the community decides societal norms, and acceptable behaviors
for people to follow. What this theory
looks at in criminology is why people would choose not to commit criminal
acts. The answer chosen is that morals
play a factor. Some people do not commit
crimes out of a sense of moral decency, and others conform to the conventional
morals of society (Siegel, 2008)

Ethnic
Succession Theory is different from the others, as it explains why some groups
of people begin in organized crime and then later move into legitimate business
ventures. This theory looks at crime as
a means to an end, which, once reached, is no longer needed. The Jewish involvement in organized crime in
America is a great example of this.
Unlike the Italians, the Jewish people value education and religion as
the most important goals to pursue.
While they began in organized crime in order to achieve upward social
mobility, the people willing to commit crimes for easy money fell away once
there were legitimate avenues for success. As one group leaves the life of
committing crimes for social mobility, another group moves in, as we can see in
modern times with the entrance of Asian, Hispanic, and Black criminal activity
more prevalent than the Italians, Jews, and Irish of yesteryear (Abadinsky,
2009).

Trait Theory

Psychoanalytical
Theory is probably the most well known theory, as most have heard of Sigmund
Freud. This theory, which has changed
over the years, mainly holds that our unconscious thoughts and feelings at
early stages of life denote how we will react to strain and societal pressures
according to Abadinsky (2009). This
theory deals with normal and abnormal behavior by explaining that it is our
balance of our id, ego, and superego, which represent our states of unconscious
thoughts, which keep us within normal or abnormal behavior. The main thought is that this happens in our
formative years and that we do not have control of this.

Behavioral
Theory forces the development of criminal activity back on individuals and
society by maintaining that we learn criminal behavior from our environmental
and social interactions. Operant
conditioning is the method that this message is delivered as the theory states
that behavior is denoted by the punishment and reward system. The choice to act criminally or not is based
on whether the reward is greater than the punishment. This theory holds that if we live in a
community that rewards criminal behavior with respect instead of rejecting the
behavior there is a lack of positive reinforcement for good behavior, and we
learn from those around us that we admire to act criminally (Abadinsky,
2009).

Theory Fitting John
Gotti Criminal Development

English: This FBI-document of 1947 recommends that "one Jack Rubenstein of Chicago" should not be called to testify for the Committee on Unamerican Activities, for he is working for Congressman Richard M. Nixon. According to the Warren Commission, Ruby had no connections with Oswald, Organized Crime or the Government. No wonder the header reads "This is sensitive". (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The
theory that best explains John Gotti’s involvement in organized crime is
Sutherland’s Differential Opportunity Theory.
This is because along with his earlier involvement with gangs and the
neighborhood he grew up in. During the
1940’s Italian communities still banded together in Italian neighborhoods,
where the mafia was already present. The
community with the exception of the criminal element was poor, and the
opportunities for social advancement not the same as that of other communities,
particularly the average white Anglo Saxon community. The social engagement with others included
respect in the community for those in the Mafia, as they often provided for the
community where society would not. The
behavior is learned from the early gang association along with accepting the
rules that the mafia set forth and Mr. Gotti excelled in this environment.

Jerome Skolnick and
Types of Gangs

Abadinsky
(2009), reports that Jerome Skolnick identified two types of gangs in his work
on strain theory. These are cultural and
entrepreneurial gangs and operate for two different reasons. Cultural gangs strongly identify with the
neighborhood that they reside in, and may be involved in drug activity for
their monetary gain along with other activity.
On the other hand, entrepreneurial gangs operate for the purposes of
distributing drugs. Cultural gangs are more identified with the neighborhood,
recruiting and maintaining membership based on loyalty to the community. Entrepreneurial gangs have no real loyalty,
and operate solely based on continued revenue for the group (Abadinsky,
2009).

Gangster Disciples and
Criminological Theory

The
criminological theory that best fits the growth of the Gangster Disciples would
be Robert Merton’s Theory of Anomie. This
theory states that those experiencing strain or anomie because of lack of
opportunity to achieve upward social mobility, turn to crime to achieve the
goals other obtain with legitimate means.
This is particularly true within the African American community, as even
with all of the advances of the Civil Rights era, even today there is not necessarily
equality between the races. Those who
grow up in poor inner city neighborhoods often do not see any way out of the
neighborhoods without criminal activity because opportunities to education
decent education are not available to all ( Siegel, 2010).

Conclusion

Criminologists
study all forms of crime, including organized crime, and develop theories as to
why someone might either choose to commit a crime or not. These theories are designed to fit most types
of crimes and explain different aspects of organized crime depending on the
aspect covered. As we can see, different
theories fit different types of criminals such as the difference between John
Gotti with the mafia, and gang activity such as that with the Gangster
Disciples. Criminologists work to
provide these theories so that those who make policy can adjust those policies
accordingly to changes in the climate of crime.

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